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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: LINDA WESTON <linda.weston5@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: mrs.linda_weston@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2010 02:15:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Greeting in the name of our Lord


Greeting in the name of Christ. 
Greetings to you and Please permit me to introduce myself. I am Sis.Linda Weston. I am diagnosed with esophageal cancer which has defiled all medical solutions and according to medical experts I only have a few more weeks to live as i send this mail to you.  As you read this you do not have to feel sorry for me as it is a universal truth that we all must die someday,   I have particularly not lived my life well in spite of my wealth and possessions as I never really cared for anyone (not even myself) but my business only. 
Though I was very rich I was never generous, I was never caring about people but only dedicated my time, resources and my business as these were the only thing I cared about. But now I regret all these as I now know that there is more to life than just accumulating all the wealth in the world as I lay helplessly on my sick bed.  If I was given a second chance to live again I sure would live my life a different way from how I have lived it owing to what has befallen me now. As my last days alive are drawing closer and closer, I have already willed out most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members as well as a few close friends. 
I also want my soul to be at peace with God and for him to be merciful on me and accept my soul and to this regard I have resolved to give my remaining funds to charity organizations as I want this to stand as one of the last deeds I indulge in on earth before I die. Though I have already distributed money to some charity organizations, Now that my health has deteriorated so badly I can no longer continue with this myself and also I do not trust my immediate family members or close friends on this as I have once asked them to close one of my accounts and distribute the funds therein to charity organizations around the Globe, But they greedily kept the money to themselves. 
Presently I am contacting you with this as I have lost confidence in them because it is obvious they are not contempted with what I have left for them. The last of my funds which no one knows of is a cash deposit of US$6 Million Dollars, stashed in a metallic trunk box and declared as Personal effects of high security value which I have with a finance/Security Company in London-England. All I am asking of you is to assist me in making the collection of this cash deposit and distributing of the funds to any charity of your choice after keeping 20% of the funds for yourself and your family.  
Please contact me as soon as you get this letter if you are capable and sincere to handle this project on my behalf so I can forward to you all relevant documents necessary for the claims and the name of the security firm where the funds are deposited. Please if you find this mail offensive, Ignore it and accept my apology, I also want you to put me in your daily prayer, asking God to forgive me my sins and accept me back in his Bosom so that I will have part in heaven as my last day is at hand. 
Thanks for now as I do look forward to hear from you in other to enable me proceed and gave you all the required details and information’s Which will back you up in getting the Fund retrieved out and legal used according to my instruction to you,God bless you.
God bless you
Sis. Linda Weston

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